Through the Flames
by eldest123323
Summary: Arya is a hunter inducted into the dark brotherhood by accident. What happenes when she meets the charming vampire Stephan who is also an assassin? This is my first oblivion story. critism is welcome.
1. Chapter 1

Arya's POV

**Arya's POV**  
Slowly I crept through the ferns of the Nibenay Basin, outside of Cheydinhall. A nice young buck was grazing not far off and he looked like he would make a nice meal. A few more steps and I was close enough to shoot. I raised my bow and nocked an arrow. With the ease of practice, I drew the bowstring back and loosed. A perfect hit. The buck fell without a sound. Smiling to myself, I walked over to collect my prize. I drew my dagger and squatted beside the deer then I heard a noise. It sounded like two people crashing through the woods. At least two maybe more. One was in heavy armor; I could hear the metal banging together.

Slowly I stood and readied my bow. Suddenly a man bolted past me, literally. I'd never seen someone run so fast. Then two more men came running after him. I'd been right. They were both in heavy armor. They bore no markings so they must be marauders. Taking aim at the closest one, I fired hitting him in the throat. I turned quickly, nocking another arrow. I drew and fired, another throat shot. He fell with a strangled cry. I listened to the woods around me then went to the two dead men. Nothing interesting there.

Now to find the man. It didn't take long, he was doubled over and breathing heavy close to the Cheydinhall gates. He smiled when he saw me. Now I could get a good look at him. His hair looked black and he was built. Very nicely too. His eyes looked red but I wasn't entirely sure. I kept walking towards him. Yep they were red. He looked to be around my age, maybe a little older.  
"Hey thanks for the help." He said. Such a nice voice. It was really quiet and didn't fit him at all.  
"No problem. Why were they chasing you? I didn't think that there were marauders around here." He straightened up.

"Marauders? No. Imperial Legion Soldiers. I stumbled into their camp and, well, ticked them off." I was stunned. Soldiers!? I'd better hope nobody saw that or I'd be in jail for sure.  
"Oh no..." I moaned.  
"Hey, no worries. Nobody witnessed it. Hell, I didn't even see it you shot so fast. Anyway, I've got to run."  
"Don't I get a name?" He smiled again.  
"Stephan. You?"  
"Arya." He waved and went inside the city. I'd forgotten about my deer for a moment. Wolves probably had it by now but I decided to check anyway. Sure enough, two timber wolves were having a field day.

Sighing, I went back to the city gates. Tying not to act guilty, I waved at the guards as I went inside. They nodded and continued watching the road. I headed to my house, barely acknowledging anyone. I opened the gate and closed it behind me before opening my door. The fire had died down so I put some wood on it and headed upstairs. I Reached in the cabinet and pulled out some bread. There was some cheese too so I put those on a plate with a sweet role.

Unfortunately, I was out of meat completely and to make things better, all I had was cheap wine. I'd have to go shopping soon. I finished quickly and headed towards my bedroom, pausing to grab a book and change. Finally, I settled on my bed and pulled the blankets over me. I opened my book (the fundaments of alchemy) and immersed myself in the rules and recipes. I didn't realize how tired I was and soon fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

I jerked awake, my book falling to the floor and the wine on my bedside table spilling

I jerked awake, my book falling to the floor and the wine on my bedside table spilling. I cursed and glanced up. I had to stifle a scream. A strange man in a black robe and hood was standing at the foot of the bed with an amused expression.  
"Hello Arya. You sleep rather soundly for a murderer." I didn't say anything, just shifted to the edge of the bed. I was trying not to be noticed as I moved to grab the dagger I kept in the drawer of my bedside table. He didn't miss anything. "Do you really want to murder a potential family member?"

"Excuse me?"  
"I'm here to invite you to join the Dark brotherhood."  
"The brotherhood?"  
"Right. So if you want to join our little family, you only need to do a simple task. It shouldn't be too hard for someone with your skills. Interested?" I thought about his proposal. I hadn't had a family in almost three years but what was this task?  
"Continue." He smiled.

"All right, you need to find a man named Rufio. He's currently staying at the Inn of Ill Omen. Do you know where that is?" I nodded. "Alright, find him and kill him. He shouldn't give you any trouble. If you complete this task I will visit you when you sleep in a place that I deem secure. Until then, farewell." He vanished. I'd trained in illusion magic and knew he just used a spell to turn invisible. I waited until the front door closed then stood up and walked over to a window. Looking at the moon, I guessed it was near four in the morning.

Sure enough, the bell toll rang four times. I went back to my room and opened my dresser. I pulled out some riding boots, breeches, and a shirt. I put them on and thought about what I was doing. I was going to an inn to end a mans life when he'd done me no harm. Then my thought flickered to my parents. They'd done no harm to anyone. My mind was made up. I was going. Quickly I packed some food and filled my canteen. I went downstairs and something on the desk caught my eye. The man had left me a well-made dagger. The note under it called it the blade of woe. They hoped I put it to good use. I left the parchment and picked up my bow and quiver from beside the door. I walked through the empty streets to the east gate.  
"So Arya, early hunting?" A guard asked. You could call it that.  
"Yeah. There's a herd that's been staying around here."

"Good luck." I nodded and left the city. The black waterside stables had my horse in the pasture. I opened the gate and found him grazing. He was a beautiful stallion with a shiny black pelt and black mane and tail. I led him out of the pasture then closed the gate behind him. I climbed onto the saddle and settled myself. This was going to be a long ride. I glanced up and saw someone walking towards me. I strained my eyes and was surprised to find the guy from earlier walking towards me. He walked under a torch and I noticed that he had a dark stain under his lip. He noticed too and wiped it away with the back of his hand.  
"Stephan right?" He chuckled.

"Right. So Arya, where are you headed this early in the morning?"  
"Down towards Leyawin. Maybe a side trip to the Imperial City. Why?"  
"Need a traveling buddy?" A traveling buddy? I'm met the guy about twelve hours ago and he wanted to travel with me? Well it would give me the chance to get to know him a little better...  
"Sure. Do you have a horse?" He whistled and another black stallion came out of the woods. Quickly, he mounted and flashed me a smile.  
"Ready?"  
"Of course." Stephan chuckled and we started off down the road.

It was a quiet ride. Stephan preferred to sit in silence and watch the goings on around him. I didn't complain. I loved listening to nature. Being a wood elf, it was something I enjoyed. I guess it was good that I was traveling with one of my own race. Towards noon, we stopped by a stream to water our horses and eat. Well, I was the only one eating. He just drank something out of a bottle.

"What are you drinking?" It wasn't labeled.

"Something of a delicacy. Want a taste?" He offered the bottle. I too it and sniffed the contents. It smelled odd, like salt. It definitely wasn't wine or anything alcoholic. Without taking a sip, I handed it back. "What? Don't want to try something new?"

"That's ok, I'll pass." He shrugged and took another sip. A little sloshed out of the bottle and landed on his light breeches, leaving a crimson stain.

"Damn it! Can I see your canteen?" I wordlessly gave it to him and he attempted to wash it off. He got most of it but a pale red spot still remained. Stephan stood up and dusted himself off.

"Ready to go?" I asked. He nodded and handed me my canteen. I went and collected the horses. WE saddled them and climbed on then proceeded on down the road.

"So what are you heading to Leyawin for?"  
"Leyawin?" Then I remembered my lie. "I'm just headed that way. Plus there's some nice game down there. Large deer, wolves, boars, and if you're lucky, a mountain lion." He was staring at me.

"You enjoy that?" I shrugged.

"I'm a hunter. I eat what I can and sell the pelts. Good money."

"You didn't answer the question. Do you enjoy it?"

"Yes I do. Most people don't understand why though."

"Could you tell me why?"

"I guess. When I hunt, I feel like I'm in a position of power." Why was I telling him this?

"Power? You don't strike me as someone who wants power."  
" I saw my parents murdered three years ago. I couldn't save them because I'd lived a sheltered life and didn't know a thing about combat. I originally became a hunter as training so that if I ever met the bastards I could get them back." He was silent for a moment.

"So, you still want revenge? After all these years?"

"Those men took away my life. I'll take theirs" How did we get from hunting to this?

"Well that's justifiable." We didn't say much more until sunset. I could se the inn over the hill.

"Let's stop there for the night. The horses need rest and my legs are cramping up."

"My ass is killing me." He said. I couldn't help but laugh at that. "What? It's true!"

"You need to ride more." I dismounted and tied my horse to the fence. He happily started grazing. Stephan tied his horse beside mine and we went inside. My eyes took a minute to adjust to the sudden darkness but Stephan walked ahead like the dark didn't bother him at all. He walked up to the counter and began talking to the innkeeper. I looked around trying to find anything out of place. There was a trap door to the basement in the corner, a perfect place to hide. Stephan motioned me over.

"I got us each a room. Here's your key."

"Thanks. How much?" He shook his head.

"My treat." I was about to protest but he held up a hand and went upstairs to his room. I turned to the innkeeper. Time to finish what I came here for.

"Excuse me. Is there a man named Rufio staying here?"  
"Yeah. Odd fellow. He's rented the basement for a month and I've seen him maybe twice. You're welcome to go down there. I doubt that he'll talk to you though."  
"Thank you." I said and went to the basement trap door. I climbed down the ladder and headed towards the room on the left. The old man was sitting at his desk writing something. He looked up when I came in.

"What do you want?" He asked rudely. I smiled. Hunter and Prey. I drew my dagger. His eyes widened in panic. "Who are you? How did you find me?"

"The Dark Brotherhood says hello." My voice was cold. He jumped and moved to run by me. I let him then threw the dagger. It hit him in the back and he fell forward, dead. I could never resist a dramatic finish. I retrieved my dagger and cleaned it before heading upstairs to my room. Stephan's door was open. When I walked by, he looked up from his book.

"Where were you?"

"Talking. Why?"

"I thought I heard something. Never mind." I said goodnight and went to my room. I just collapsed on my bed and fell asleep.

**Stephan's POV**

I'd heard Arya asking about Rufio. Finally the troublemaker would be dead. I could hear her talking to him and could only imagine what his face looked like. Finally there was a resounding thud and I knew it was over. She passed the test. I listened for the innkeeper but he must've gone to bed. Plus with my superb hearing it probably wasn't as loud as I'd thought. Arya came up the stairs and paused in front of my door. I pretended I had no idea was she'd done.

"Where were you?"

"Talking. Why?"

"I thought I heard something. Never mind." She left and I heard her fall on her bed. Arya would make a great assassin. The kill didn't even phase her. I pulled out a book and began to read. A few hours later, someone walked by my door.

"Hello Lucien." The man nodded and went next door to the still sleeping Arya.

**Arya's POV**

I awoke to the same man standing at the foot of my bed.

"Good job Arya. You're fast. I like that. Now for the next part. Do you know the abandoned house in Cheydinhall?" I nodded. "Go there and go the to basement. At the door say 'sanguine my brother' and then speak to a man named Vincinte. Welcome to the family." He disappeared again. The closest window was in the hall. I went over to it and looked out. It was probably only midnight. Sighing, I went back to my room and lay down. I tried to sleep. Finally, after hours, I drifted away.


	3. Chapter 3

Someone knocking on my door woke me up

Someone knocking on my door woke me up. I opened my eyes and sat up. Stephan was standing at the door fully clothed and ready to ride.

"Are you ever going to wake up?"

"Yeah. I'll be ready in a minute." He nodded and stepped out, closing the door behind him. I crawled out of bed and pulled my hair back. I slipped on my boots and gloves and walked out of the room. He was sitting at a table downstairs drinking the same drink as yesterday. I bought some food for later from the innkeeper and went outside to get my horse. He stood there patiently beside Stephan's horse. I untied him and climbed up.

"You're in a hurry today." He mumbled.

"I've got to get back to Cheydinhall." He raised and eyebrow.

"Really? You were only coming here. And you didn't' even hunt. Can I ask why?" I shook my head. The brotherhood was supposed to be a secret. I maneuvered my horse on the road. About ten minutes into the ride, he asked me another question. "Does this have anything to do with the dark brotherhood?" I didn't say a word. "That's good. If you're ever caught you won't tell our secrets."  
"Our? Are you in the brotherhood?" He chuckled.

"Yes and so are you. Welcome to the family."

"So how did you know that I joined?"

"Because I saw Lucien last night. He's the speaker of the Cheydinhall sanctuary."

"That's his name? He never said."

"He's been busy. There's a traitor somewhere. Luckily I'm new enough so that I'm not a suspect."

"So why were you running from the guards yesterday?"

"In all honesty?" I nodded. "Because I was supposed to assassinate one of the guards in the camp. I would've gotten away quietly but he woke up before I could finish him off. I finally killed him, but you saw the results." I nodded again. Being an assassin was harder than it sounded. We were quiet for a while. We didn't stop to eat but ate along the way. Near 8:00 pm, we made it to Cheydinhall. I stabled our horses and we went inside the city.

"Well, I've got to head home for some things. You're welcome to come along." Stephan considered the offer.

"I could but I've got to go to the sanctuary. See you soon." He vanished. Do all the members know that stupid spell? I calmly walked through the streets of Cheydinhall. I surprised myself. I'd figured I would be nervous because of my previous night's endeavors. I opened my door and stepped inside. I sighed. It was good to be home. I went upstairs and changed into leather armor that looked halfway decent. I didn't look my best but it was ok. I doubted any of them looked magnificent either. I was a little hungry so I grabbed a pear from the cupboard. It wasn't the best meal that I'd ever had but it curbed my appetite. I strapped on my quiver, bow, and dagger then headed out the door.

The abandoned house was on the other side of town so it took me a few minutes to get there. I arrived finally and finding that the door was locked, I pulled out a lockpick. An old friend had taught me how to do this and I still practiced. The lock opened and I let myself inside. It was dusty, dark, and full of cobwebs. I used a night-eye potion before looking for the basement. I found the door and opened it. I was in a long tunnel. I made my way through it and luckily made it to the end when the potion started wearing off. A large door was in front of me. It glowed red. I stepped up to it and a voice asked me the password. I repeated it and the door opened. I was now inside the Cheydinhall sanctuary.

"Arya! Welcome!" The now familiar voice said. Stephan walked over to me.

"Hey Stephan." I was busy looking around the room. There were two large wooden door on two sides of the room. Directly across from us was a hallway.

"So what do you think?"

"It's different. Not what I was expecting." I'd been expecting a bunch of blood-thirsty people. Instead, as we walked by, they smiled and greeted us like old friends.

"I can only imagine what you were expecting. So I'm guessing you need to speak with Vincinte?" He's so different here.

"You guessed right." I smiled. Stephan took me down the hall, down a flight of stairs, and to a large pair of wooden doors. He knocked.

"Come in." A voice said. He opened the doors like they weighed nothing and we walked in. An older man was sitting at a table, marking his place in a rather large book. I was instantly happy. Anyone who liked to read was a friend of mine. I glanced at the title: On Oblivion. He was reading about the realm of the Daedra? That could be interesting.

"Hello Stephan. Who have you brought?" His voice was really smooth and quiet. I took the time to examine him. He was dressed in a black robe minus the hood. His hair was gray, and his face was wrinkled. What caught my attention were his eyes. They were red like Stephan's.

"This is the new member, Arya."

"Ah, the girl you mentioned the other day."

"The same. She's remarkable with a bow." I ducked my head.

"I'm not that good. Just average."

"An average bowman couldn't hit one soldier in the exact spot that his armor doesn't cover. You hit two directly in the center of the opening." Vincinte said.

"Stephan was probably exaggerating."

"I saw the bodies myself. You're remarkable."

"Anyway, I'll leave you two alone so you can explain the rules. I've sat through it once; don't want to do it again." Stephan said. He waved and left the room.

"So Arya, what do you think so far?"

"It's different. Not what I expected at all." He smiled, showing two pointed fangs. My eyes widened. I was talking to a vampire!

"I can see you've spotted my fangs. Hope you're not frightened."

"No, not at all." I was in awe. I'd always wanted to meet a vampire. My favorite book was about a vampire priest tricking a vampire hunter.

"Most people would be running for their lives right now. So I need to explain the rules to you." He proceeded to tell me about the five tenants, Sithis, and the Night Mother. "I saw you eyeing my book earlier and can only assume you like to read."  
"You're correct."

"Then here is a book on everything I just told you. It goes into detail if you have any questions." He handed it to me.

"Thanks Vincinte. So what were you reading about?"

"I finally have someone to discuss my findings with. Wonderful. I was reading about Oblivion, the Daedra, and the 16 Daedra princes. I'm not very far into the book as I only acquired it recently."

"I found the book in the Chorrol Mages Guild but it was locked away. It seems they don't want it read." He nodded.

"It contains many secrets about the realm. So you're a mage?"

"I'm not wonderful at magic, not like the people at the Arcane University but I can perform simple enough tasks."

"You are a very interesting girl indeed. I can see why Stephan was so intrigued." He stood up and picked up a book from his desk. He placed it on the table in front of me.

"The Fundaments of Alchemy. Funny, I'm reading this book right now. It's beside my bed at home." A thought came to me. "It's probably ruined." My wine had splashed on it. Vincinte chuckled.

"Lucien told me about the scare he gave you. This can replace you're damaged copy. I have another, don't worry." Someone came into the room. "Hello Stephan. Come to collect your friend?" Stephan rolled his eyes.

"So you explained the rules?"

"Yes I did." I stood.

"Thank you for the books Vincinte. I'll see you soon." He smiled, showing his fangs again. Stephan stiffened.

"Of course." I left the room, Stephan right behind me.

"I hope he didn't scare you." He mumbled.

"Of course he didn't why would he?" He looked shocked.

"The fact that he's a vampire doesn't bother you?" I shook my head.

"I've always wanted to meet a vampire. The old ones have seen so much. It would be fascinating to learn his history." He sighed and shook his head.

"Another scholar. At least he has someone to talk to that actually understands his ramblings."

"I need to head home. See you soon." I headed for the door.

"So is your invitation still good?" I was confused for a moment. Then I remembered I'd invited him over.

"The invitation still stands." He smiled. We left the way I came in and headed to my house. He was silent the whole way. When I opened the door, the bell chimed four.

"How long was I down there?"

"A few hours. You two kept talking." I walked over to my desk and placed my book on the shelf next to it. I then went upstairs and placed the other one on another shelf. When I went back down stairs, Stephan was reading the titles of the books on my shelf. Under those was a multitude of potions that I'd bought, made, or found. Some of my alchemy supplies were laid out on the desk. He was staring at one.

"What?"

"Is that a _heart_?"

"Yeah. It was a pain to get too. It's a Daedra heart." His eyes widened.

"Either you're suicidal, really brave, or just plain stupid. How did you get that?"

"Conjuration magic has its benefits. Some mages in Skingrad helped me get it."

"Hmm. For a moment there I thought that you'd traveled to the Oblivion Plains." I had to laugh at that.

"That's the last place that you would find me." He laughed too.

"Has anyone ever come out alive?"

"Someone had to or else there wouldn't be any books on the subject."

"True." He plucked a book from the shelf. "A book of Alchemy recipes? Is that where these potions came from?" He flipped through the pages.

"Most." He stopped and read an entry. "What?"

"Nothing." He closed the book and put it up.

"So are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"Not really. Nothing I can't handle."

"Alright then. I'll be back in a minute. Make yourself at home." I went upstairs.

**Stephan's POV**

I watched Arya go upstairs to what I figured was where her food was. When was the last time I'd tasted food or drink? I sighed and looked around the room. A very nice place. I sat in a chair in front of the fire and watched the flames. I wanted to reach out and touch them, feel warmth again. I'd feel warmth alright. My hand would be burnt to a crisp. I could hear Arya preparing her meal upstairs. She made a lot of noise. A low oath reached my ears then a crash. So she must've broken something. I chuckled. She was a very funny girl. I was glad that she'd joined the Brotherhood. She seemed at ease down in the sanctuary. Maybe a little too much. Most mortals shied away from vampires, yet she sat there for three hours and had a casual conversation! I shook my head in disbelief. I heard her coming down the stairs. Glancing up I saw that she was dressed for a day in the wilderness.

"Hunting today?"

"Yep. Want to come?"

"Can't. There's work to do down in the sanctuary."

"Suit yourself." She strapped on her bow and quiver.

"I'll see you later tonight."

"Tonight." She promised. I smiled.

"Bye Arya."

"Bye Stephan." I headed out the door and to the sanctuary.


	4. Chapter 4

Arya's POV

**Arya's POV**

It was a very nice morning, the fog obscuring me so my prey wasn't aware of anything out of place. Down the hill I saw my first target. A young timber wolf busy trailing a deer herd. I put an arrow on the string and crept towards it. When I was in range, I fired. It didn't hit where I wanted, instead grazing its leg. The wolf spun around snarling. Something wasn't right…That's when I noticed that it was foaming at the mouth.

"Oh shit." I whispered. I backed away, fumbling for an arrow. It leaped towards and I closed my eyes. The wolf never collided with me. I opened my eyes and saw Stephan standing over the dead creature with a silver short sword in his hand.

"Thanks." I breathed. He spun around to glare at me.

"You idiot! It's one thing to shoot at a wolf on a normal day but a _rabid_ wolf? What were you thinking?" I just shook my head. The signs had been there, I just hadn't noticed.

"Sorry. Thanks for saving me though." His expression softened.

"No problem. Just be more careful. I don't want to have to worry about you getting into trouble with a rabid bear next time." I grinned.

"Well, this hunting trip didn't end the way I wanted it to."

"Keep hunting. It's still early. You might be able to catch something. Maybe this was the only rabid animal still alive in the area." I sighed.

"I hope it was." Stephan stayed with me while I hunted for the rest of the morning. I didn't get anything! This was probably the worst hunting trip that I had ever been on. It was worse than my first attempts.

"Arya, give it a rest. Let's just go back to Cheydinhall."

"Fine." I growled. He hid a smile and walked with me back to the city. When we got inside the gate, he turned to me.

"I've got to go to the sanctuary. Will I see you later?"

"Yeah." I yawned. "I'm going home and going to bed first."

"I'll see you then."

"Bye." I waved and headed home. When I got into my room, I changed and went straight to bed. I was asleep within seconds.

**Stephan's POV**

I walked back to the sanctuary in a great mood. I was actually spending time with Arya. Looking around to make sure that I wasn't being followed, I then crawled into the well. The ladder was a little damp from the earlier rain shower. I stepped down and Vincinte was the first to greet me.

"Stephan, good morning. How was your night?"

"Fine. Why?"

"No reason. I see you've made friends with our new initiate." I walked to the living quarters and grabbed a bow from beside someone's bed. I'd seen Arya using one and I figured that it might be a good idea to try and learn. Try being the key word. I was a sword user. I went into the training room I stood in front of one of the targets and took aim. I was _horrible._ How I managed to miss a target _that big_ was a mystery to me. After a little while, I gave up and retrieved my arrows, at least what I could find. I went back into the living quarters and returned the bow. Then I just laid down on my bed. I heard footsteps and sat up.

"Hello Vincinte."

"Good evening."

"So, what do you need?"

"You seem thirsty and I was wondering if you wanted a drink." I smiled and stood.

"Sure. Let's go."


	5. Chapter 5

Arya's POV—4 months later

**Arya's POV—4 months later.**

I woke around sunset. I'd just returned from a mission last night and spent the whole day sleeping. I didn't feel like going to the sanctuary at the moment so I grabbed my alchemy book and went downstairs to play around. It wasn't to long before I was caught up in what I was doing. I didn't even realize anybody was behind me until my shoulder was touched. I jumped up and spun around.

"If I'd meant to kill you, you'd be dead by now. Be a little more alert in the future." Stephan said smiling. For some reason I realized the oddest thing: he never showed his teeth when he smiled.

"That's what happens when I'm near my alchemy supplies. I was engrossed in my work." He moved to my side.

"I could tell"

"I'd only meant to be here for a few minutes." I glanced out the window. It was dark. "I've been here for hours?!" By this time I was extremely annoyed with myself. I darted up the stairs and changed. I was starving but I'd meant to be at the sanctuary by nightfall. Food could wait. I ran back down the stairs.

"Are you not going to eat?" Stephan asked.

"Not hungry." My stomach chose that exact moment to growl. He raised an eyebrow.

"Not hungry? I think that you should eat something." He picked me up and carried me back up the stairs. Naturally I tried to protest but he just held me and then sat me down in a chair. "So what do you want?"

"Nothing."

"Fine. I'll just pick something for you." He opened the cupboards. When all was said and done, I'd eaten two sweetrolls, cheese, grapes, some strawberries, and had two small glasses of wine. I was stuffed.

"Why did you make me eat so much?" I suppressed a burp.

"Because you need food."

"And you don't?" The words just slipped out of me.

"What?" His expression was guarded.

"I've never seen you eat. I've spent days on the road with you and you never took a bite of anything." He looked astounded.

"You're very observant. Anything else?" His voice was low.

"Lots. You drink some odd unlabeled drink that's the color of blood. I've seen you with dark stains under you mouth occasionally. You never show your teeth, and your eyes are red…" I drifted off. He was staring at me with the oddest expression. Then he sighed.

"You are much more observant than I gave you credit for." I blushed and looked down. A cool hand pushed my chin back up. "Don't be embarrassed Arya."

"I just want to know why you didn't tell me."

"Because I didn't want you to be afraid of me. After I've watched you around Vincinte, I'd decided to tell you but I was waiting for the right moment. I guess now was great time."

"Stephan, I don't care if you're a vampire." He looked at me.

"You don't?"

"No. You believe me, don't you?" Stephan stared into my eyes for a moment before smiling.

"Of course I believe you."

"Thanks." His smile grew bigger, showing his teeth. I didn't meant to, but I gasped.

"What? Thought you weren't bothered."

"I'm not. Just not used to it, that's all." He nodded.

"I've scared quite a few people that way."

"I'm not scared!" I protested.

"Really? You should be." He lunged faster than I thought possible and flipped me around. His hand was on the small of my back and he was holding me up, fangs on my neck. "Scared now?" I didn't say anything. "Arya?" He stood me up. "Are you ok?"

"Now." His eyes were apologetic.

I'm sorry." I shook my head.

"Well, I guess you can be scary." He smiled again.

"You guess. Do I need to demonstrate again?" He moved his face closer to mine.

"No." I said to quickly. Stephan chuckled.

"Sure?" He moved closer till he was mere centimeters away. I'd never had someone so close to me before.

"Positive."

"I don't believe you." He whispered. Then he pressed his cool lips to mine for a brief moment. He pulled away with a huge smile on his face. I was glad he was holding me or I would've collapsed right there.

"Wow." I breathed.

"Glad you enjoyed yourself. Now I guess we could go to the sanctuary." I sighed, annoyed. He let go of me and I took a step towards the stairs. I fell flat on my face.

"Owww…." I moaned into the rug. Stephan busted out laughing. I tried to stand, making it to my knees. I'd twisted my ankle. Blushing, I healed myself and stood. "What's so funny?" I demanded.

"Nothing. It's rude of me to laugh but your expression was so funny." He chuckled.

"So are we going to go or now?" I asked. He was instantly at my side.

"Are you mad at me?" I sighed.

"I could never be mad at you Stephan."

"Good." He moved to kiss me again, but I held a finger to his lips.

"That's why I fell the first time." He nodded and we went down the stairs. I was about to open the door when he grabbed my wrist and turned me towards him.

"I have a contract in the Imperial City so I won't see you for a few days. I just wanted to do this one more time." I allowed him to kiss me again. It was just like the first and much to short. I opened my eyes. "Come on. I'll walk you to the sanctuary." He opened the door and took my hand. When we got to the well entrance, he smiled.

"Well I guess this is goodbye." I said. I couldn't keep the sad note out of my voice. Stephan heard it and his expression softened.

"It'll only be for a few days. I'll be back, I promise." He ran his hand lightly down my jaw and was gone. Sighing, I went inside the sanctuary. Vincinte was waiting for me.

"Ah, Arya. Just the person I wanted to see. I have a contract waiting for you if you would like it." He said in his too-smooth voice.

"Sure, I'll take it."

"Good, we need you to go to Bruma…" He went on to explain who I was after, where he lived, and his schedule. "Sithis guide you." He murmured as I left. I ran through the gates, grabbed my horse, and climbed on. I found the road that led to Bruma, and with one last glance to Cheydinhall, I started down the road.


	6. Chapter 6

The road to Bruma was relatively calm

**Arya's POV**

The road to Bruma was relatively calm. No bandits or animals. I made it to the city in under a day and stabled my horse outside. I found an inn and rented a room for the night. I was sitting at a table having supper when a strange man came inside. He had the look of someone who was extremely busy so most people just muttered "Hey Raynir" and went about their business. He just curtly nodded and went upstairs. Great, he slept here. Why did his name sound so familiar? I stood and went to talk to the innkeeper.

" Who was that man?" I asked him. He gave me an odd look before realizing that I was an outsider.

"That's Raynir Dralas, the vampire hunter. He's been here for a few days and has already killed one of them among us." I tensed when he said that. I was really angry about this. A vampire hunter! Vampires were people too, just different. I marched up to my room and almost ran right into him.

"Excuse me." He said. I didn't say a word, just walked right past him. The man went down the stairs. When I'd seen him, I'd felt another surge of anger. I trusted vampires. I figured that if I had ties to two of them I wouldn't be harmed. Hopefully. I just remembered that I had the book Immortal Blood in my room. It was one of my favorite books about a vampire priest. I found it and went back downstairs. I found a seat by the fire and began reading. Sure enough, Raynir came by to ask what I was so caught up in. I told him the title and his eyes turned to stone.

"Why would you want to read about those creatures?" He hissed.

"Because I happen to find them very interesting. Problem?" The venom in my tone was enough to make him put a hand on his sword hilt.

"You wouldn't say that if you'd actually met one." I bit back a retort and went upstairs to collect my things. I left the inn and went to the stable. I placed my bags beside my saddle and went back to the city. My plan to not be a suspect was complete.

People probably thought that the outsider was gone by now. Raynir really did piss me off but he worked nicely for my plan. Much better than I'd hoped. Now to find the man that I was after. His house was easy to find and I snuck in through the basement. He wasn't home right now so I hid in his bedroom. Not much later he showed up. The man was probably in his early forties with brown, gray streaked hair. He was of medium build and probably handsome in his younger days. He laid down and was finally snoring.

I crept out of hiding and drew my dagger. Then I plunged it into his throat. He didn't struggle at all and died quickly. I cleaned my dagger and left the way I came in. It was around three in the morning now and the guards let me pass without a word. I saddled my horse and headed home.

Around dawn, I stopped. I needed to sleep and eat. Plus, Stephan wouldn't be home for a few days so I could take my time. I warded the camp where it looked like another part of the forest and fell asleep. It was almost dark when I woke up.

I was getting my nights and days mixed up. Now that I thought about it, I didn't feel like taking my time getting home. I cleaned up the camp, saddled my horse, and left. It was getting really cold and my stallion was bursting with pent up energy. I let him set his own pace and we ended up getting home around five in the morning. I figured that Stephan should be back tomorrow or the next day so I could skip going to the sanctuary, but I needed my reward.

Barely able to stand from exhaustion, I headed to the sanctuary. Vincinte was talking to someone who was angrily shaking his head. Vincinte stopped and smiled at me. The person he was talking to turned around. Stephan's expression turned from fury to relief when he saw who I was. He darted over and caught me as I collapsed.


	7. Chapter 7

"Arya

"Arya!" Someone was shaking me. I cracked open one eye and saw Stephan and Vincinte standing over me. I was in a bed. "Thank the Gods. She's alive."

"Arya. What happened in Bruma?" Vincinte asked. I weakly shook my head.

"Nothing." I whispered. It hurt to move or breathe.

"Did you run into somebody, get attacked, annoy the wrong person?" I shook my head again. Then I thought of Raynir.

"Raynir." The word came out slurred.

"Say it clearer Arya." Vincinte said calmly. Stephan was fuming beside him.

"Raynir." They understood that time. Vincinte put his hand on my forehead. Silver magic flowed into me and I felt a little bit better.

"What did you do to him?" Stephan demanded.

"I just read a book." I could talk now.

"What book?"

"Immortal Blood. We argued about it, and I left." The pain was coming back.

"Dammit!" Stephan roared.

"Stephan, calm down." Vincinte said. His hand was back on my head. The pain receded.

"Calm down?! Anybody associated with vampires he kills with magic! You should know that!" He shouted.

"You can save her Stephan. I won't do it for you." Stephan's eyes widened.

"No." He whispered.

"She'll die within twenty-four hours. The choice is yours." He left the room. As soon as he left, the pain came back worse than before. I cried out, tears welling up. Stephan was at my side.

"Arya, it's ok. I'll fix you. I promise." Then he murmured to himself. "Do I change her and damn her to a life of blood and darkness or let her die naturally?"

"Stephan…" I whispered. He leaned down.

"What?" I summoned the strength to mutter,

"I love you…" His eyes teared up. He said something but I was already unconscious.

**Stephan's POV**

"I love you too." I murmured back but she was already out. Seeing her in pain was tearing me apart. After living for 120 years and finding who you want to be with for eternity being torn apart from the inside, well it was enough to break me completely. I'd told Vincinte not to giver her that contract! Arya was fading fast and there was only one way to stop it. Indecision raged war in my head. What to do? She regained consciousness for the briefest of moments. Her eyes were so full of pain. My mind was made up. She drifted away again and I knelt down beside her. I kissed her on the cheek before leaning down and sinking my fangs into her throat.

**Arya's POV**

When I awoke, I had no idea what had happened. I remembered the horrible pain that was finally receding, Vincinte and Stephen arguing, and Stephan staying with me. He was asleep on the bed next to mine. When I tried to sit up, he opened his eyes and was instantly by my side, pushing me down with gently hands.

"Take it easy Arya. You're still recovering."

"How did you save me? I thought I was going to die." His expression was tortured.

"You _were_ going to die. There was only one way that I could save you." He knelt down beside the bed. "Please don't hate me for what I've done to you." I was confused and he could tell. He held a hand to his neck. I felt my own and found two small holes.

"You bit me?"

"Arya I'm sorry! It was the only way I could save you—" I cut him off.

"Stephan, I don't hate you." He looked astounded.

"You're not?" I shook my head. "You're lying."

"Do you want me to prove it?" His eyes lit up.

"You need to save your strength." I raised an eyebrow. Grinning, he leaned down—and Vincinte came into the room.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything. I just came to check on Arya." His expression and tone were amused.

"I'm fine." I said.

"Good." He turned and walked towards the door. "And Stephan, behave yourself." He left. I glanced up and giggled.

"What?"

"You're blushing." He blushed even more. My strength was coming back fast so I sat up.

"Arya…"

"My strength is coming back."

"In three days you'll be just as strong as me." I nodded. That would be fun. "I'm surprised you are not upset with me."

"Was that a hint?" He smiled.

"No, but you can make it one if you like." I leaned over and kissed him. He returned the kiss, instantly happy. We broke apart breathing heavy. "Alright Arya, lets take it easy. You need to rest." I pouted. "Arya lay down." He gently pushed me down and pulled the blankets over me.

"I don't need to sleep!" I protested.

"Do I need to leave the room?"

"No, no! I'll try!" He chuckled and I rolled away from him and closed my eyes. Someone starting singing softly and I drifted away.


	8. Chapter 8

I awoke starving

I awoke starving. I wanted _something_. I jumped out of bed and went over to the cupboards across the room. Boar meat, yum. I put that on a plate and was about to take a bite when I noticed Stephan sitting at the table.

"You don't want to eat that." He warned.

"But I'm starving!" he poured something out of his bottle into a goblet and handed it to me.

"Drink it." I sniffed the contents.

"What is it?" I took a sip. It was surprisingly good, salty and sweet at the same time.

"You might as well get used to it." He hesitated. "It's human blood." I didn't say a word, just finished it off. My appetite was satiated.

"It's good."

"Good. That's all you're going to be able to hold down from now on. Blood."

"Animal blood?"

"Any kind." I nodded. "And if you don't feed for twenty-four hours, the sun starts to burn, each day worse than the last. You get stronger but you can't be outside in the daylight." I nodded." More?"

"Sure." I gave him my cup and he poured some and handed it back. I took another sip and Vincinte appeared at the table.

"I see you've recovered Arya. That's good." He sat down beside Stephan.

"Want some?" Stephan offered.

"No thank you. I just came down here to see how the two lovebirds were doing." Stephan glared at him.

"We're fine." I said, finishing my drink.

"Well, actually Stephan, I came to see if you wanted a drink."

"I'm fine." He held up the bottle.

"That won't satisfy you for long." Stephan sighed.

"I know, but I can't leave this one alone." He grinned at me. "She almost ate a plate of meat." Vincinte laughed.

"Bring her along." Stephan started to protest but I spoke first.

"I want to go." I got off the bench then pulled Stephan up beside me. "Lets go Stephan."

"Open your mouth."

"Why?"

"Just open it." I did and he looked at my teeth. "See, she doesn't even have fangs yet." I closed my mouth and ran my tongue over my teeth. He was right.

"Can I come anyway?" Stephan had to smile.

"Fine. Come on." Vincinte left saying he would meet us outside.

"So can I go home and change?" I felt dirty. I'd been in bed for two days. He pulled something out of a chest and tossed it to me.

"Armor." I nodded and he left me to change. The black armor fit nicely and there was a hood but I didn't put it on. I walked out of the room feeling a little better. Stephan was waiting at the stairs. "It suits you." I blushed.

"Thanks" He hugged me.

"I'm so glad I saved you." He mumbled.

"Me too." I looked up at him. He sighed.

"That will take some getting used to."

"What?"

"Your eyes." I was slightly confused. There was a mirror in the other room so I twisted out of his grip to go look. My mouth dropped when I saw what he was talking about. My eyes were an orangey-red. They matched Stephan's now. He was behind me, watching for my reaction. Waiting for anger that wasn't there. I turned to face him.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just waiting for you to be pissed." I sighed.

"I'm not going to be mad at you Stephan."

"We'll see." I walked out the door. Right before I opened the other door to the main area, he caught my arm. I looked at him, eyebrow raised. He leaned down and kissed me. It was sweet and when he broke away, I smiled.

"I could get used to this." He grinned and pushed open the door. We left the sanctuary and found Vincinte waiting beside the old well.

"Took you long enough." He muttered. Stephan ignored him. "What were you two doing down there?"

"Nothing." Stephan said.

"I don't believe that." He said under his breath.

"Do you want to know what we were doing?"

"Probably not." Stephan shrugged, then turned to me with a smile on his face. I immediately caught on. He swept me up in his arms and kissed me long and hard.

"Oh Gods!" Vincinte shouted and walked away. We broke apart laughing.

"That was fun." I whispered.

"Lets do it again sometime." He whispered back.

"I won't complain." His smile grew.

"I know." We walked over to Vincinte.

"Done now?" He asked.

"Yep…" Stephan answered and quietly added, "for now."

"Alright then." Vincinte led us behind houses and found a basement that was unlocked. We snuck down there and I was momentarily blind.

"Stephan…" I whispered. He was beside me.

"Can you see?"

"No…"

"I'm going to pick you up now. We don't want you to make any noise." He lifted me to his chest and held me. "By tomorrow night, you'll be a full vampire and everything will be better. I promise." I nodded. From what I could tell, we were going upstairs. Firelight was shining on the top stair and I had Stephan set me down. He walked ahead of me. Vincinte checked the room, then the upstairs section. He motioned us up. There were two orcs lying in the bed. Vincinte took the male, and Stephan, the female.

I just stood by awkwardly, trying not to watch. I ran my tongue over my teeth and was surprised to fell my canines were sharpened to slight points and they were a little longer. Not as long as Stephan's or Vincinte's, but they were beginning to grow. The two of them finished and the orcs were still peacefully sleeping, not in the least bit bothered. We snuck back downstairs and Stephan offered to pick me us. I let him and strained my eyes in an attempt to see what was in the basement. I could make out the outlines of the things closest to me. We left the basement and he sat me down.

"Thanks."

"No problem." We crept through the streets of Cheydinhall, then climbed into the well that led to the sanctuary. Vincinte said good morning and retired to his room.

"You know Stephan, I think I'm going to head home. I've been here for days."

"Want some company?"

"Sure. I might bore you though." He held up a finger and went into the living quarters. I walked around the area. When I'd first come here, the dark interior intimidated me a little. Now it was a comfort, something I knew would always be here waiting for me. Ocheeva came out of her room and waved to me. I waved back and she headed to the training room. Stephan came back out with a few bottles of something. We left and headed back to my house. The guards waved but I wouldn't look at them. My eyes would give away what had happened to me. We made it to my house, I unlocked the door, and we went inside. Stephan handed me the two bottles. It was bottled human blood.

"Might want to keep that just in case." I nodded and went upstairs to put it up. I came back down and found him sitting in a chair in front of the fire. He'd put some wood on it.

"Hey Stephan, what happened the other night?" I asked quietly. Pain filled his eyes.

"You almost died. Dralas magically poisoned you. I'm surprised that you even made it home." His voice was quiet.

"But I didn't die." He smiled.

"No you didn't." I sat in his lap; he pulled me closer to his chest. I laid my head on his shoulder. Sighing, I snuggled closer. He wrapped his arms around me and began rubbing my back. It was soothing and soon I felt myself nodding off. "Hey Arya! Don't fall asleep." I jerked up, instantly awake.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm surprised you can even sleep at all. You were out for two days." I grinned. "Arya, open your mouth again." Annoyed, I did. "It's almost complete now." He mumbled. I felt my teeth with my finger. There were two sharp fangs there now. I closed my mouth.

"Now all I need is night vision." I muttered.

"You probably already have it. The sun is rising though so I don't suggest that you go out there."

"You go in the sun."

"But I fed last night and you didn't. You'll burn, remember. I already almost lost you once. I don't want to do it again."

"What about the bottled blood?"

"It works yes, but new vampires have to feed at least once. Don't ask me why."

"Oh. Well, we're going out tonight then."

"You sound so comfortable with this." I ignored his comment.

"I should work on my alchemy supplies. Now that I can't eat, I have plenty of ingredients I can use." I tried to stand up but he held me down. "What?"

"And where do you think you're going?" He grinned.

"Umm…over to my alchemy set, why?" I was confused.

"Come on, don't get involved with all that stuff. Let's just sit here and talk." I settled myself again.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Hmm…Where did you grow up?"

"The Imperial City. Elven Gardens District." He whistled.

"Expensive." I nodded. He kept up with the questions about my life for an hour. He asked another question, but I didn't here it. I was already asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

I awoke some time later in my bed

I awoke some time later in my bed. The room was slightly dark but I could see everything like it was in daylight. I was amazed. My senses were so much better than before I went to sleep. I could here someone downstairs flipping through a book. Leaning over the rail, I saw Stephan calmly reading a book. I went downstairs and stood behind him.

"I see you're awake."

"Yep. You shouldn't have let me fall asleep." He marked his page and looked up at me.

"You were tired Arya, even though I don't see how." He held up the book. "Is this what you were reading in Bruma?" I looked at the title.

"Yeah, it is. Actually, it's one of my favorite books."

"Really? So you were interested in vampires before you had ever met one?" I nodded. "You're a very interesting girl, you know that?"

"Thanks." He studied me for a moment.

"I can see that the transformation is complete."

"How do you figure that?" He pulled me into his lap.

"Let's see. Pale skin, red eyes, your fangs finished growing, I assume that you have night vision, faster, stronger. Did I miss anything?"

"Nope. But I know one thing that didn't change."

"What?"

"You. I was afraid that you'd think differently when all of this was complete."

"You thought that I wasn't going to love you anymore?" Glumly I nodded. "Well, you worry about the wrong things." He whispered. He bent his head over mine and kissed me. I wasn't expecting this. It was longer, slower. Finally, we broke apart.

"That was…different." I gasped.

"I don't have to worry about hurting you now, or my fangs cutting your lip and causing a problem."

"That's something I've been meaning to ask. How come when you feed, who you bite doesn't change?"

"Nobody is really sure but our best guess is that when we feed, the natural venom we secrete stops." He stood up, still holding me. "And speaking of feeding, I believe you wanted to go hunting tonight. I guess it's late enough now." He put me down and led me out the door into the frosty air. "Alright, hear anyone sleeping?"

"Hear?" He nodded.

"Just listen." I tried and heard my neighbor, the artist, snoring lightly.

"In there." I nodded towards the house. We went through the front door—it was unlocked –and went upstairs. Stephan nodded meaning that I should go first. Hesitantly, I walked to the side where her back was to me. I leaned down, stuck my fangs in her throat, and drank. It was amazing! The bottled blood had nothing on this. Stephan put a hand on my shoulder to tell me to stop. Reluctantly, I stood and wiped the corners of my mouth. I gestured towards her but he shook his head and motioned me outside. When we got in the street, I asked him why he didn't drink.

"Because, we could kill her if we drank to much. Only one vampire per person."

"Makes sense… Why do we feed only when they're asleep?" He smiled.

"I'm surprised you don't know. Your favorite book is true. The vampires in this country do it to stay hidden. We can blend in with normal society that way."

"Hmm…" We went into the inn and Stephan found the sleeping innkeeper. While he was busy, I filled a leather bag with some things: cheese, grapes, tomatoes, etc… We left and he eyed the bag.

"Please tell me that you're not going to try and eat that."

"Alchemy." I said.

"Oh. You want to go drop it off?" He sounded relieved.

"Sure. Are we done hunting?"

"We can stop if you want." He said.

"I'm just scared that I'll get carried away." Stephan nodded, understanding exactly what I meant. "It just tastes so _good_—" I stopped myself.

"Don't worry. We all feel that way."

"I know. It just sounded so weird." Stephan chuckled.

"Come on, let's go to your house."

"You know I've been thinking. I know that living in the sanctuary must be crowded, so I was wondering if you wanted to move in with me. I have plenty of room."

"That's a very generous offer, but I don't want to impose myself on you."

"Who said you were imposing? I offered. If I'd thought that it would be a problem I wouldn't have said anything."

"True. I guess I could try…" I smiled.

"Great." We were at the house. "Stay up here while I clean out the basement. Don't come down until I say." He smiled and nodded then went over to my bookshelf. I went down into the basement. In a little side room I stored all of the crates. In the corner I put a spare bed and a table beside it. I had a lot of extra furniture down here. By the time I was finished, it looked just like another part of the house. I went upstairs and found Stephan asleep with an open book in his lap. I marked his place and picked the book up out of his lap. "Stephan, wake up." I touched his shoulder. He was awake enough to get downstairs. When he hit the bed, he was snoring lightly. I placed the book on the table and went upstairs to my own bed, quickly falling asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

I awoke at sunset

I awoke at sunset. Stephan must've still been asleep because I didn't hear anything going on downstairs. I went to the cupboard and poured myself a glass of blood. It seemed like I was always craving it now. I finished and set the glass down before going downstairs. My alchemy set was just sitting there so I sat down to work on the potion I'd been working with days ago. I finished it quickly, set it on the shelf, and started another one. Healing potions were easy and quick so I made two and stood up. Stephan was still downstairs. I was bored so I figured I could go and wake him up now. I opened the door and crept downstairs. Sure enough, he was curled up under the blankets, sound asleep. I walked over and touched his shoulder.

"Stephan." He rolled over.

"Hmm…"

"Wake up. It's dark out." He cracked open an eye.

"Arya let me sleep."

"You've been asleep all day." He muttered something then rolled back over and closed his eyes. I sighed. "Am I going to have to wake you up?"

"And how are you going to do that?" He rolled back over. I smiled, then leaned down and kissed him lightly. When I moved away, his eyes were open and bright.

"Awake?"

"Yeah." He threw the blankets off and stood up. He was shirtless. I couldn't help but stare. He caught me looking and chuckled. "Like what you see?" My face reddened and I turned to go upstairs. When I reached the door, two strong arms encircled my waist. "Come on Arya, don't go."

"I'm just going upstairs."

"Really? Hmm… On second thought, I'll let you go." Then he laughed in my ear.

"What?"

"My very presence intoxicates you."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes but I don't mind. It's the same both ways." I smiled. "I'll let you go so I can clean myself up." He kissed the top of my head and released me. I practically skipped up the stairs. If this is what it felt like to be in love I never wanted it to stop. I picked up a random book and began reading, trying to distract myself. Well, the rules of the mages guild weren't that interesting so I picked up another one on alteration. Stephan came upstairs a few minutes later but I didn't hear him.

"So what are you reading?" I jumped and swung around to hit whatever was behind me. Stephan caught my wrist and looked at me with a raised eyebrow. Then I realized who I had almost smashed in the face.

"Oh gods! Stephan I'm so sorry!" He chuckled.

"It's alright Arya. I can see that you're still unalert." I reddened. "Hey, at least you didn't hit me." He was still holding my wrist. He kissed my hand and released it.

"I'm not always unalert! I protested. He offered and hand and pulled me up.

"You're not?"

"No. I wouldn't be a good assassin if I was." He sighed and shook his head.

"Your arguments are so ridiculous." I just shrugged.

"So do you want to go to the sanctuary tonight?"

"I have some things I need to get, so yeah, I need to go."

"Come on then." We left the house and headed across town. The sanctuary was relatively empty, almost everybody had a contract. Stephan headed to the living quarters to collect his things and I went to Vincinte's room to say hey. He was reading a book but looked up when I came in.

"Hello Arya."

"Hey Vincinte."  
"Enjoying your new powers?" I smiled.

"Very much."

"I'm surprised it doesn't bother you. Most new vampires are repulsed by blood. They won't feed but drink it from a bottle. Stephan was that way until recently."

"Recently?"

"Well, I call eighty years recent. I was the one who changed him. You see, every time I fed, he would either leave the room or just stand to the side. One thing that troubled me was the fact that he wouldn't touch blood; not even in the bottle. Not feeding does make us stronger physically but so weak to fire and sunlight that one blast could kill us. I began to worry so one night when he was asleep, I poured some blood down his throat. He woke up screaming and left. I followed him for a few days and found that he was at least drinking the bottled blood. I didn't see him again until a few days before he met you." Vincinte stopped and shook his head. "You've changed him so much." He lapsed into silence and I stood up.

"Vincinte, I'll be seeing you." He waved, thoughts somewhere else. Why did he tell me that? I went back up that stairs and found Stephan waiting. He just smiled because he could tell my thoughts were wandering. We went home and he went downstairs to put his things away. He came back upstairs a few minutes later.

"Arya, what are you thinking about?" I glanced up at him.

"Nothing."

"I don't believe that." I sighed.

"I know."

"Then what?"

"Vincinte just told me your history…some of it anyway."

"That wasn't his to tell." He hissed. "What did he tell you?"

"He just told me that you wouldn't drink blood at all." He looked slightly relieved.

"That's not to bad I guess."

"Why? Did you do something horrible?" He wouldn't look at me. "Stephan you can trust me."

"I know. I jut haven't spoke of this for so long." I moved to his side and put a hand on his shoulder. He took a breath. "Do you remember the uprising that happened about a hundred years ago?" I nodded. "I was young and foolish and didn't listen to my elders. I began playing with conjuration magic and accidentally conjured something to powerful to control. Because of that, the Daedra came in swarms. They killed so many people and it was my fault. Some supported the Daedra and I killed the ones that I could find. The original that I'd summoned heard of this and he tracked me down. He tried to kill me and almost succeeded. I got lucky and got my sword in this throat. Only problem was that I was so weak that I just fell over, waiting for death. Vincinte found me, probably drawn by the smell of blood, and saw what I'd done to the Daedra. He decided I was worth keeping and he bit me. I hated him for the longest time but now I'm glad he saved me." He looked at me, eyes full of…something. I smiled at him. A sad, small smile.

"You're not the only one with a bloody history." I said quietly. He looked at me, confused. "I told you my parents were murdered, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"I stayed with a friend. She taught me how to use a bow and a dagger. After a year, I spent two months tracking down the two men that I'd seen kill my parents. I found them in a cave near Cheydinhall. I've never told anybody this, but I killed them in the slowest, most painful way possible. I feel awful about it now. They had a lot of stuff in that cave, including my parents money, so I took and sold what I could then bought this house." I stopped and tried to hold back tears. I was unsuccessful. Stephan noticed and drew me close. Then he picked me up and sat down with me on his lap.

"Arya, it's ok. Don't cry." He stroked my hair.

"I'll stop. Just give me a minute." I tried to stop the torrent. It took a few minutes, but eventually they stopped. I noticed his shirt was soaked and tried to get up. He held me.

"Where are you going?"

"To get you another shirt."

"It's fine."

"You'll get cold." I only realized how stupid I'd sounded after he started laughing.

"Arya, feel our skin. We're as cold as ice."

"I know." He stopped.

"Are you ok?' He asked.

"I keep remembering their faces, their screams." I shuddered.

"Would you like some help forgetting?"

"Nothing would make me forget that. It's permanently etched into my mind." His smile was sympathetic.

"I know how you feel." I sighed. "What?"

"You're just so perfect for me. You even have horrible memories. Nobody could ever feel like I feel. Sure people could say that they're sorry but at least you've actually done something really stupid in your life."

"I guess you could call it stupidity, but I'm glad I've found someone who can empathize with me. You're perfect for me too Arya." He smiled.

"I'm far from it." He chuckled and kissed me. He pulled away after a second.

"You think that I'm perfect?"

"I wasn't done kissing you." I grumbled. He gave me another angelic grin.

"See, perfect." Then we kissed again. Not long into it, the door busted open. We broke apart and jumped up. In the doorway were possibly the ugliest creatures I'd ever seen.

**Stephan's POV**

It scared me half to death when the door exploded. Arya almost fell in the floor. All I had was a dagger and I drew it, moving in front of Arya (even though I knew she was fully capable of protecting herself).

"Hello Stephan. You've changed." A raspy voice said. The speaker stepped out of the smoke. The Daedra. They'd come back for me.

"What do you want?" I demanded.

"We want you. The Daedra were most displeased when the invasion fell apart. We've come to get our revenge." Then two more foul creatures came to grab me. I tried to fight back but it didn't do any good. They secured my arms. Suddenly a lightning bold hit one in the chest. It fell over dead. Another bolt and the other one fell over. Arya stepped up beside me.

"Get the hell out of my house!" she screamed. I flashed her a warning glance but she didn't see it.

"Now, now girl, our quarrel isn't with you. Step down." The Daedra said, annoyance creeping into his voice.

"Maybe you didn't hear me." She said. Another bolt flew towards the monster. He waved it away an shot a fireball at her. She flew back and hit the wall. I could tell she was in pain.

"I see you've changed your little girlfriend too. That makes it all the more easier to dispose of her later." I tried to stab him but he grabbed my arm and opened a massive orange portal opened. He dragged me towards it.

"No! Arya!" The creature laughed while I struggled.

"Stephan!" she lunged towards us. The portal closed and all I saw was a wall of flame.


	11. Chapter 11

"No, not Stephan

"No, not Stephan. He can't be gone." I drug myself up from the floor. I looked at my stomach where the fire had hit me. There was a large burn across it and I wasn't skilled enough to heal it. I glanced outside. The sun wasn't out yet. With a grunt of effort, I started towards the sanctuary. I stayed in the shadows so the guards wouldn't see me. Finally, I made it and just about fell down the ladder. Vincinte just so happened to be in the main room.

"Arya?! What happened?!" He ran to me.

"Stephan." I gasped. Until now, I'd been covering my stomach. I moved my hands away and revealed the burn that was steadily getting worse.

"Gods Araya, what happened?" He caught me as I fell. I was unable to support my own weight.

"Daedra." I bit back a cry of pain. His eyes widened.

"No…" His hand was glowing sliver and he placed it on my stomach. The burn began to disappear. "Where is he?"

"The leader took him. They disappeared into a big flaming portal." My eyes teared up. How dare they touch Stephan! The burn was gone and he removed his hand.

"Did it come alone?'

"No. I killed the other two with magic. The leader just waved it away. That's where the burn came from."

"Vampires and fire don't mix. Now you've experienced that. If you hadn't fed the night before, that would've killed you."

"I think the Daedra know Stephan is a vampire. They'll kill him!"

"The Daedra love fire. They have an advantage there. Arya listen, we are going to travel to Kvatch. They were recently overrun and a gate still stands open."

"We? You're going with me?" he nodded. "Let's go now!"

"Hold on and come with me." Vincinte led me downstairs and handed me some things. "This armor is fire resistant. Very helpful considering your condition and where we will be going. This bow is magic and does fire, thunder, and ice damage along with damaging their magika. The arrows also damage their magika."

"Thanks Vincinte." I said quietly. He left the room and I pulled the armor on. It was just like the normal brotherhood armor and it fit perfectly. I put the bow and quiver on my back. Vincinte was waiting for me upstairs. He had a claymore on his waist.

"Perfect fit. Let's go." We left the sanctuary. "Before we leave, we need to feed." I glared at him but followed him into the first open house we found and fed on the couple. Outside, it was dawn. We left the city, guards flashing wary glances as we passed. I was surprised when we passed the stables.

"No horses?"

"Arya, we can run faster than a horse."

"We can?" He sighed.

"Come on." He pushed me forward and we started running. Vincinte was right, we could run _much_ faster. By noon we were running past the Imperial City. For some reason, Vincinte ran off the road.

"Where are we going?"

"The man road leads through Chorrol. Cutting through the forest should get us to Skingrad by nightfall." I nodded. That sounded reasonable. Around sunset, Skingrad came into view. I just looked at the castle spires. I'd heard tells of Count Skingrad and his wife. I'd never met him, he was a very private person.

"I think we should stop here for the night. The Count and I are good friends." Vincinte said, breaking the silence.

"Why can't we keep going?" My voice was thick with worry.

"Arya, I'm over four hundred years old. You're much, much younger than I am. You're what, sixteen, seventeen?"

"Eighteen." I grumbled. He sighed and led me through the gates. The guards took a few steps away from us. That was a first. Normally, people treated us relatively normal.

"I see the Count let the guard know about his condition." Vincinte whispered. I gave him a puzzled look. "In time." He murmured. We walked through the nearly empty streets. I figured we would've run into the typical evening crowd hurrying home.

"So silent." I said.

"It's a very peaceful place around this time of day." We left he city and began walking across a large, very high bridge. Three were two guards standing watch and they stopped us when we reached them.

"State your business." He one closest to me growled.

"We are here to see Count Skingrad." They looked us over (mostly at our eyes) and allowed us to pass without another word. We headed straight across the courtyard and went into a lavishly decorated main hall. There were very few people and none were dressed like a count. Vincinte was looking around and his eyes locked onto a female argonian. He walked up to her. I followed slowly, taking everything in. I'd never been inside a castle before.

"I need to speak with the count." She eyed him suspiciously.

"The Count doesn't wish to see anyone. Tell me what you wish to tell him."

"Just tell him that Vincinte would like a word." Annoyed, she stalked up the stairs. "Now we wait." He sighed.

"Friendly reception."

"I can see why the count doesn't wish to see mortals. He could give himself away."

"Mortals? Is he a—"

"Hush! Do not speak of that in public!" He hissed. I nodded. At that moment a tall, dark figure appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Vincinte!" He called. The man came towards us. Everyone in the room stared.

"Count! How have you been?" They shook hands.

"Fine. And who is this lovely girl?" He stepped a little closer.

"This is Arya." The man offered a hand and I took it. He lifted them and kissed my hand lightly.

"A pleasure." He said, then released it. I was blushing. I'd always hated formal greetings. The count turned to Vincinte. "You turned her?" Vincinte shook his head and looked upstairs. "Ah, how foolish of me. You two are probably tired. I will have rooms prepared immediately." He's putting on a show, I realized. The count led us up the stairs and into a grand sitting room. "Make yourselves comfortable." I sank into an overstuffed chair. Vincinte chose a couch.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Vincinte said. I just nodded my agreement.

"No trouble at all. Now what brings you two to the western part of the country? Cheydinhall boring you?" He smiled

"We're here on…a mission."

"Brotherhood?"

"Personal."

"Ah. Does it have to do with Arya?'

"Yes it does actually. Do you remember Stephan?"

"Of course. Did you cure his aversion?"

"He left when I tried. I didn't see him for years. The first night I saw him was a few days before he met Arya." The Count took on a look of surprise.

"Really?"

"Yes. Well, I'm trying not to tell Arya's story."

"I don't mind." I said confused.

"You haven't been among vampires long enough. That is a strict violation of privacy." Vincinte said.

"Tell it. What you're hinting around won't make any sense."

"Fine. Arya was given a contract in Bruma. She ran into Raynir Dralas."

"And he didn't kill you?" The Count was astounded.

"This was before I was…changed." He nodded and Vincinte continued.

"She pissed him off with vampire talk and he poisoned her magically." He paused. "I'm really surprised she made it home. When she walked into the Sanctuary I could tell something was wrong. She was pale and had a light sheen of sweat on her face. I tried to cure her but to no avail. I told Stephan she was going to died within a day if he didn't turn her. He bit her and here she is. Four days later, the two of them were attacked. Arya, you tell him this part."

"We were sitting in my living room when the door exploded, literally. Three Daedra walked in. The leader sent the other two to restrain Stephan. I killed them—"

"You killed them? How?" The count interrupted.

"Magic." His eyes widened. "Anyway, I tried to do the same to the leader but he just waved my attack away like I blew a bubble at him. Then he shot fire at me. I flew back and hit the wall. The creature created some kind of portal and…" I choked up. Just thinking of Stephan's tortured expression was going to kill me. "That _thing_ drug him inside and closed it so I couldn't follow." The tears were coming.

"Arya, with the burn he gave you, you couldn't have followed him and done a lot of good." Vincinte said quietly.

"So you two are traveling to Kvatch I take it?" The count asked.

"Yes we are." Vincinte moved to pat my back.

"So, this is the girl he fell in love with? I can see why." The count murmured. I gave him a quizzical look.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're smart, beautiful, brave, and obviously strong. Stephan stayed with me for a few years. He was the last person I expected to fall in love. His heart was like ice. You are a special person to chip that ice away Arya. I hope you succeed in your mission." The room was silent.

"I'm not the girl he needs. Most guys want a quiet, obedient girl. Not somebody who practices magic, fights, reads, and does practically everything a man should be doing." Vincinte sighed.

"That's why you are perfect for him Arya. Stephan would be bored with a normal girl." I was annoyed. Why I didn't know.

"Count, I would like to retire. Where is my room located?"

"Of course you must be tired." He clapped his hands and a servant appeared.

"Yes sir?"

"Would you show Arya to her room?" the servant bowed and beckoned for me to come. I flashed Vincinte a look. The blood lust was going to make me crazy. He understood.

"Count, when I said she was new to this life, I meant about a week."

"Oh…Well…Vincinte, accompany her and see where your room is located. I shall wait here." Vincinte nodded. "Oh, Arya, here." He handed me a glass. "That should be enough to last a night. There's more in your room." I thanked him and sipped the contents on the way. I finished right when we arrived at my door. The servant took my glass and Vincinte bade me goodnight. I went inside and shut the door. There was a steaming hot bath waiting by the fire and a thin nightgown splayed across the bed.

The room was ornately decorated in shades of red, black, and gold. There were two windows that looked out over the city. A full moon cast its light on the town, turning it silver. I stripped and sank into the bath. When the water covered everything but my head, I sighed. This was nice. I washed myself and stayed in the water until it began to cool. There was a towel beside the tub so I grabbed it and dried off. I pulled the gown over my head and found a hairbrush on the top of the mantle. There was a mirror in the room also. I ran the brush through my hair wondering what Stephan saw in me look wise. In my opinion, I was totally average. The only unique thing about me was my hair. Absolutely nobody had the same shade of golden-blonde. Sighing, I put the brush down and went to the windows. There was a small table and a chair between the two windows. I was curious about the bottle and goblet. I sniffed the contents and smiled. The count knew exactly what I needed. I drank a few glasses while staring at the moon. Eventually, I realized how tired I was and went to bed and fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

A knocking at my door woke me up

A knocking at my door woke me up. Annoyed, I crawled out of bed to see who it was. Vincinte smiled when he saw the expression on my face.

"Arya, we need to set out soon."

"Alright. Give me a few minutes." I closed the door and looked around the room. I would love to stay here but Stephan needed me. Now. I looked in the mirror as I pulled on my armor. Becoming a vampire had changed me so much and not just in physical appearance. My mentality was different too. Before, losing Stephan would've devastated me but now I knew that I would be without him for _eternity_. Just the thought filled me with anger and anguish. Anger at the Daedra, anguish at the thoughts of never hearing his voice. I tried to ignore my feeling unsuccessfully. I ended up stomping out of the room and getting a worried look from Vincinte.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I growled. He dropped the subject. In the main room, the Count was waiting for us.

"Ah, Arya. How did you sleep?"

"Fine." I said, voice low. I went and looked out the window.

"Hmm…I see. Vincinte, I believe you should set out. It's about an hour before dawn. Kvatch is about half a days ride, so for you two, it should only take a few hours."

"I agree Janus." Who was he talking to?

"Janus?" I asked. The count smiled.

"My name. Janus Hassildor. Very few people know my name and even fewer use it. According to most, it's disrespectful."

"Vincinte let's _go._" Sighing, the older vampire nodded.

"Thank you Janus. We shall see you soon." Janus gave us a sad smile. He knew we might not survive.

"Arya, if you ever need help or just want to stop by for a visit, feel free. I will be seeing you." We said our goodbyes and left the castle, getting amazed looks from the castle guards. Vincinte didn't say a word until we were outside the city.

"Well Arya, it seems that you've impressed the Count of Skingrad. That's not a feat that many accomplish."

"I didn't _do_ anything to impress him."

"Oh, but you did. You determination is surprising, especially in one so young."

"Can we go now? Stephan is probably being tortured" My voice broke. "I have to find him! He told me how he stopped the Daedra years ago and they've had plenty of time to plan." I broke into a run. Vincinte came up beside me.

"Arya, he'll be fine." His eyes betrayed his words. I ran faster. Pretty soon, I was way ahead of him. Apparently as vampires aged, they got weaker. I shrugged and continued down the road. Then I came to a fork in the road. The sign had been broken so I didn't have any idea where to go. Annoyed, I waited on Vincinte. A few minutes later the older vampire stopped beside me.

"Arya, it's very rude to run off in the middle of a conversation."

"Sorry. You just run so slow."

"I can run faster than you on your best day." Ok so maybe I was wrong about getting weaker. "I'm just saving my energy. I know from experience that the Daedra like to hang around outside the gate also. Remember that. The journey through oblivion will not be easy and you don't want to get yourself killed before you ever step foot inside." I didn't say a word, just kept up with his slow pace.

By midday, we'd arrived in Kvatch—well what they were calling Kvatch anyway. The real city had been obliterated and all that was left was a small refugee camp at the base of the hill. Everyone was cowering in their tents or under something. Curious, I looked around. Maybe the fear had something to do with the hideous scamp running towards the camp. I drew my bow and shot the creature. It screeched and fell down. I went to retrieve my arrow. At that moment, a guard came racing down the hill.

"I heard a scream! Is everybody alright?" He noticed the dead scamp and the bloody arrow. "Did you do that?"

"Umm…yeah." Who else in this camp could do it? Vincinte didn't have a bow and everybody else was hidden somewhere. Man, how bad was it in the city?

"We could use somebody like you at the barricade." Vincinte came up beside me. "Is this your traveling companion?"

"Yes. We were headed that way." The guard stared at Vincinte like what he'd just said was the dumbest thing he'd ever heard.

"Not a single soul has come out of _that._" He pointed at the orange flaming portal. From where we were standing all that could be seen was the top half. Just that little bit sent a shiver down my spine.

"We're not going in today. I was hoping you had two spare tents that we could use for the night." The guard had on a thoughtful expression.

"You fight at the barricade for the day and I'll see what I can find." Vincinte didn't look to happy, but he agreed to the terms. I on the other hand, did not and I told the guard my opinion on the matter. "No fighting, no tent." Annoyed, I took off up the hill. The guard was amazed by my speed but Vincinte was furious. At the top of the hill he caught my arm.

"Arya! What are you doing?" He demanded.

"Saving Stephan! You just want to hang around so I decided to solved the problem myself!" Vincinte looked hurt. With a shocking display of strength, I broke away and ran to the giant, fiery portal. With a moment's hesitation, I stepped inside and was amazed at what I saw.

**Stephan's POV**

What were these creatures planning on doing to me? The Daedra that had captured me brought me to the top of this tower and left. The door was the only way out and it was magically sealed. Other than a window, the only thing in the room was a weird bowl that sat in the middle of a pedestal. I went to see its contents. Just a bowl of dark water. Then movement flickered in its depths. I focused on the figure in the middle of the bowl. My breath caught in my throat. It was Arya. She was coming after me. I wanted to yell and tell her to go back. Not to try and help me, but I knew she couldn't hear me. Then a scamp ran towards her. She killed it and two more came out from behind a rock. Arya would have her work cut out for her. Now I knew why I was in here. They were going to let me watch her die before torturing me to death. I wanted to look away from the bowl, but I was transfixed.

**Arya's POV**

"Damn scams." I muttered. How many had I killed now? Eleven? Twelve? There were still more! Annoyed, I cast an invisibility spell and snuck around them. Someone was watching me from the tower. I could feel eyes on me so that's where I was heading. This place was creepy and I now understood the need for fireproof armor: The place was a freaking lava pit! I tried to steer clear of the lava but bridges led me right over top of the flaming goo.

"Alight Stephan. I'm coming." I whispered to myself. I was trying to calm my nerves. I might be invisible but I was still paranoid that something was going to see through my magic. I crept around some more daedric creatures and found myself in a clearing. A Daedra was standing in the center and staring right at me. It had on armor and was holding a dark curved sword. Then, faster then I thought possible, it lunged. I took off my invisibility spell and drew my bow. The only way I could defeat this creature would be if I could get some distance between the two of us. I ran to the other side and fired. The arrow didn't do anything.

What was this guy wearing? The thing charged at me, slashing with his sword. I dodged the attacks and shot again. This time the arrow managed to pierce the chest plate. It roared and charged at me again. Naturally this would be the time that I screwed up. I ran sideways and tripped on a rock. I was on my knees and before I could jump back up, it was beside me holding its sword at my neck. With a sound like a laugh, it drew back and I prepared for my final seconds alive. The deathblow never came. Instead, there was a high-pitched scream and the creature fell over, a long sword protruding from its chest.

"Arya, stand up." A familiar voice said. I stood, legs shaking. I'd never been so close to death before. I looked up into the familiar face of Vincinte. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." My voice was quivering. I almost fell down. He caught my arm and his hand glowed silver for a moment. My strength returned and I could now stand up on my own.

"Better?" I nodded. "I see you've learned that some Daedra can see through you spells. It's a gift that they are born with, not something unique to a species."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"Just be prepared for attacks like that." He picked up the Daedra's short sword. "you are going to need a sword for some of these creatures. Can you use one?"

"Enough to get by. I've always preferred the bow."

"Get by you preferences and use this for close combat." Vincinte handed it to me. It was surprisingly light, almost like my dagger. I could easily use this.

"Come on. There's something in that tower. Who or whatever it is has been watching me." He nodded and gestured for me to lead. I walked ahead, for once even more wary of my surroundings than usual. At least I had someone watching my back. We were only attacked by a few scamps when we made it to the tower door.

"Ready?" Vincinte asked.

"Let's go." And I pushed open the door.


	13. Chapter 13

Stephan's POV

**Stephan's POV**

Arya and Vincinte were at the tower door. Not good. They didn't know that my captor was staying in this tower too. I was intent on the water and didn't realize that someone had come in the room.

"I see they made it to the tower." A raspy voice said behind me. I jumped and turned around. The Daedra that had captured me was smiling—if you could call it that. It looked more like a grimace. "Did I scare you Stephan? I'm so sorry."

I was tensed, ready to run. The door was open. He saw me eyeing the door and waved his hand, laughing. The door closed and the creature raised his hand again. This time, he hit me in the chest, throwing me into a wall. "I can't let them find you alive now can I?" The Daedra's voice was light. It was enjoying itself. I jumped to my feet, ready to try and fight back. It shot a fireball. I moved fast enough so that it only grazed my arm. It hissed. I ran up and punched it. I wouldn't go down without a fight. Then it disappeared. I turned looking for it when a searing pain when down my back. I fell over gasping. Blood was running down my back, pooling beside me.

"Did you think that you could beat us Stephan? How cute. Just know that after I kill you, your girlfriend and mentor are next." I couldn't move, couldn't speak. He pressed a claw to my neck. Then the door exploded. Arya and Vincinte stood there covered in black Daedra blood. That was the last thing I saw before I passed out.

**Arya's POV**

I saw the stupid Daedra leaning over Stephan who had just passed out. He was laying in a pool of blood. My temper flared.

"Nice of you two to join us. I can kill you all easily now." The creature said. It had a claw at Stephan's neck. Using my vampire speed, I drew my bow and shot it in the arm, rendering the whole limb useless. It hissed and lunged. Yet again I underestimated the speed of these creatures. Vincinte threw it back. Now the Daedra's attention was on Vincinte. Before I could shoot, the creature shot Vincinte in the chest with a fireball. He hit the wall and the creature grabbed him by the throat.

"Vincinte!" I yelled. I shot at the Daedra but he dodged it and held the vampire out the window.

"Goodbye Arya." He managed. Then the Daedra released him and he plummeted to his death.

"One down two to go." I took out my sword. "Oh? You're going to try fighting with a Daedra blade?"

"Already used it. Your guards enjoyed themselves." His face tightened. He lunged again but I dodged and hit him in the back. He slashed, I blocked. Somehow, I had the upper hand in this fight. It knew this and that made it clumsy and stupid. He ended up with the sword in its chest.

"That's for Vincinte." I hissed. Then he went limp. I left the sword in him and ran to where Stephan was laying. He was still unconscious but at least he was alive. Gingerly, I picked him up, careful to avoid the slashes. I pictured the gate to this world and after a minute I opened my eyes. This was one of the few spells I'd perfected. I stepped through the gate and found myself in the normal world. It was the middle of the night and everything was quiet.

The guards weren't even at the barricade. That was good. I'd noticed a trail that went down the hill and led to the main road. I went down the trail, careful not to hurt Stephan, and started running. I'd never used my full speed before and it felt good. Skingrad came into view around dawn. I ran around the city, found the bridge that led to the castle, and used an invisibility spell before climbing on the bridge. The guards didn't notice a thing. By this time, my arms were starting to get tired. I snuck into the main area of the castle. There were a few people standing around but no count. I looked around and spotted him crossing the landing to the dining room. I ran up there and caught my breath. I was about to lift the spell when his dagger appeared at my throat.

"Who are you?" He hissed. I let go of the magic and nearly collapsed. "Arya?"

"Yeah." I gasped. He took Stephan from me.

"Follow me." He said. Then he led me down a hallway and into another room. He laid Stephan down on a bed and turned to me. "Arya, what happened? Where's Vincinte?" My eyes teared up and I told him the whole story. When I was finished, Janus just sat there quietly. Finally, he spoke. "Vincinte is dead?" Sadly I nodded. "My poor old friend. Who would've thought that he'd die in such a horrible fashion?" His voice was low and shaky. He summoned a servant and told him to go fetch someone.

"Who is he going to get?"

"My physician. I can't go to a normal doctor and neither could Stephan." I nodded. It's not as if we felt _living_ or anything. "Plus he's the only one that Vincinte ever turned so he must've seen something in the boy." That was new. Before I could say anything, an old lady walking in.

"Janus, what's wrong?" She sounded flustered.

"This man has suffered an attack and due to his…condition, can't go to a city doctor." She nodded and went to check his wounds. "And you need some rest Arya. You look awful. It's the same room as before."

"Thanks Janus. Are there drinks?" Laughing, he nodded and with one last look at Stephan, I left.

**Stephan's POV**

When I awoke, I was surprised to find myself in a bed and a comfortable one at that. My torso was wrapped in bandages and the cuts, scrapes, burns, and bruises were healing nicely. I heard people approaching and pretended to be asleep.

"So Janus, when do you think he'll wake up?"

"Anytime is what the physician said." The two were in the room and I heard one approaching the bed.

"Stephan." An all to familiar voice whispered. She leaned down and kissed my cheek.

"Arya, I'll be in the dining room" The male voice said.

"Alright." She turned to leave.

"Arya." I said, voice rough from disuse. I opened my eyes and there she was with a huge smile on her face. This was the first time I'd see in her in a dress and she looked gorgeous. It was a dark green color with a plummeting neckline.

"You're awake." Her voice was quiet.

"Yeah. Something wrong?" She shook her head, and a tear fell to the floor. "Arya, come here and tell me what's wrong." She came and sat down on the edge of my bed. I don't think that I've ever seen her cry.

"Stephan nothing's wrong. I'm _happy_."

"And you're crying?"

"You'll never know how you looked when I first brought you here. I never would've made it from Kvatch if I hadn't been a vampire. You wouldn't be here."

"What about Vincinte?" Her face fell and the tears came back to her eyes. "Oh. I guess I know." I sad, voice low.

"Yeah." I decided to change the topic.

"So when do you think I can get out of bed?"

"I don't know. I would say now but I'd rather you didn't hurt himself." I chuckled. Arya laid down beside me and sighed.

"What?"

"I haven't got to do this in awhile." I smiled and put my arm around her. We sat in silence until she fell asleep. Not much later, the count came into the room.

"Ah, Stephan. You're awake."

"Hello Janus. It's been awhile."

"Indeed it has." He looked at Arya. "She really loves you, you know."

"Yeah." She snuggled closer to me. "I really lover her too." Janus smiled.

"Why don't you just marry her?"

"I fully intend to. I know that she'll stay with me for eternity but I need a way to tell the mortal men to stay away." The count laughed.

"That would be my suggestion." He looked me over. "You're looking rough. I'll bring you a drink."

"Thanks." He left the room. I laid my head on top of Arya's and relaxed, breathing in her scent.

**Arya's POV**

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was someone beside me. It took a moment to register that it was Stephan who was laying his head on me.

"Awake?" His cool voice asked. I moved so I could look at him.

"Yeah. You shouldn't have let me sleep."

"Arya, you were exhausted. Sleep was a good thing for you."

"So I haven't spoken to you in what seems like forever." He laughed.

"It's been the same for me, remember?"

"True." We looked at each other. I moved closer to him and Janus walked in.

"Don't let me interrupt. Stephan, you're drink." His voice was full of suppressed laughter. He sate the bottle down and left the room. Annoyed I looked back at Stephan.

"He said not to let that interrupt." He hinted. Smiling, I pulled myself to him and kissed him. My senses flew to new heights and if my heart had been beating, my pulse would've skyrocketed. When we broke apart, his expression was so full of joy that I wanted to kiss him again.

"Arya."

"Yes?"

"Marry me. Please." This was the last thing that I was expecting. I was speechless. "When I can get out of bed I'll give you a ring and a proper proposal."

"Idiot." His expression was confused. "Of course I'll marry you."

"That's just what I wanted to hear." Smiling, I kissed him again.


	14. Chapter 14

Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

**Arya's POV**

This was the day I'd never thought would come. I never considered myself the type of girl who would get married. I was standing in my gown, waiting for the moment when I could walk down the isle. We were inside the Cheydinhall Chapel and the pews were full of our brotherhood friends, Janus the Skingrad Count, and of all people, my sister. I haven't seen her in years and one could only imagine the reaction she gave me when we met in the Cheydinhall streets. Apparently, this was the last city she needed a recommendation from to get into the Arcane University. Someone knocked on the door, telling me it was time. I took a deep breath and walked out. Stephan was standing at the end of the isle looking really good in his formal clothes. He had a huge smile on his face. I took my place beside him and the priest began speaking. I found myself repeating my vows without really hearing them. Stephan said his and the next thing I heard was:

"You may kiss the bride." He leaned down and kissed me while our guest cheered behind us. We broke apart and walked around the sanctuary.

"Arya I'm so happy for you!" Arwen squealed. She hugged me.

"Maybe you'll be the next one to get married." She laughed.

"I'll never get married."

"That's what I said too." We talked some more but soon she had to leave, as did everyone else. Finally, we were done. Stephan turned to me.

"Ready to start eternity yet?"

"You bet." And we kissed again, sealing our fate for forever.


End file.
